Dr. Susan McClanahan

Therapy offers a powerful opportunity to pause, reflect, and reconnect with yourself, especially during times of emotional or physical change. Dr. Susan McClanahan’s approach is warm, collaborative, and grounded in psychodynamic and insight-oriented psychotherapy, with a focus on treating the underlying emotional and relational issues that contribute to eating disorders, emotional overeating, binge eating, restrictive eating, chronic dieting, anxiety, depression, and trauma. She also supports adults navigating midlife transitions, perimenopause, and identity shifts.

A significant part of her work includes helping clients understand the emotional and psychological impact of GLP-1 medications (such as Ozempic, Wegovy, and Zepbound). Changes in appetite, eating patterns, and body image can surface deeper themes around self-worth, control, anxiety, and long-standing emotional patterns, areas Dr. McClanahan explores together with warmth and nuance.

Dr. McClanahan provides therapy in Chicago/Northbrook and virtually throughout Illinois, making support accessible whether you’re seeking weekly therapy, help with eating-related concerns, or guidance through GLP-1 related changes.

As the co-founder of SpringSource Psychological Center, she works alongside a team of thoughtful clinicians dedicated to meaningful, evidence-based care in a supportive environment. While her primary approach is psychodynamic and insight-oriented, she integrates Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Emotion-Focused Family Therapy (EFFT) when appropriate to support deeper emotional growth and relational healing.

Before co-founding SpringSource, Dr. McClanahan founded and led Insight Behavioral Health Centers, the first major treatment center for eating disorders in Chicago. She later served for many years as the Chief Clinical Officer at Eating Recovery Center, overseeing clinical programming and multidisciplinary teams across multiple levels of care.

Dr. McClanahan has built a rich academic career over several decades, with numerous publications and national presentations in the fields of eating disorders and trauma. She also serves as faculty at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, where she trains future clinicians in evidence-based and insight-oriented approaches to treatment. Dr. McClanahan earned her Ph.D. from Northwestern University, her M.A. from Columbia University, and her B.A. from Duke University.

At SpringSource, Dr. McClanahan’s goal is to create a therapeutic space that feels safe, reflective, and hopeful, a place where you can explore the emotions beneath your eating patterns, strengthen your relationship with yourself, and move toward lasting, meaningful change.